NFL Halftime Show – 500 Drones and Lady Gaga

500 Drone Light Show

This Superbowl was one for the record books, with so many heart pumping adrenaline filled moments future Superbowl’s will have a tough time keeping up.

I could talk about the game itself, crazy good, or Lady Gaga’s amazing seemingly nonstop performance but the thing that excited me the most… The drone light show.

At first I didn’t even realize that it was drones, I just thought it was some interesting enhanced computerized graphics superimposed for dramatic effect.

Tell me more…

After the half time show was over they gave a quick nod to the fact the lights were actually Intel drones. They broke the GuinnessBook of WOrld Records record for most UAVs by having 500 drones simultaneously in the air.

The movements were fluid and the use of the Red/White/Blue color scheme was astounding and provided a patriotic and visually stimulating feeling to the entire event.

How did they do that live?

Sadly, the drone show was not live and was actually superimposed for dramatic effect but damn… what an amazing effect it was. This was mainly done because of unpredictable weather patterns and laws that restrict air space around the stadium.

The drone pilots had to obtain Class C airspace (700 Ft) waivers to perform this stunt at night. They successfully completed the entire filming process in a single night!

How many pilots did this take?

The short answer is I’m not sure on this event but this can be accomplished with only 2 actual pilots. It is a computer controlled animation that coordinates the patterns and lights that the drone displays. They can perfectly sync 500 drones to project any imagery or patterns they like. The only reason that 2 pilots are needed is they must have a backup.

What does this mean for the future?

Drone light shows have endless possibilities, well as long as it fits within the 30 minute flight window at least. Think of this as fireworks of the future without all that sulfur smell and being reusable. This is just the beginning and what a tremendous impact it will have on the future. Only time will tell.

About The Author

BMac is an FPV Drone Pilot and an avid technology nut.
He started FPVDronePro.com to help capture the information he learns daily to help people like you make informed choices and avoid any mistakes he encounters along the way.
He is a member of Quad Faction Racing and has been flying a DJI Phantom 3 Standard and Eachine Wizard X220.